Nurses Union president to start Labrador tour

Debbie Forward, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses' Union (NLNU), will travel to Labrador this week to meet with nurses and tour coastal community health clinics.
Forward and NLNU?executive director John Vivian want to discuss issues facing nurses and the profession, and learn how nurses working in remote communities deal with the challenge of providing quality health-care with limited resources.
"Our new collective agreement and the increased recruitment of nursing grads is bringing some relief for nurses, but we still face many difficulties as a result of the staffing shortage," Forward said. "Through meeting with members, we are able to continue to address challenges and identify opportunities to strengthen our health care system for the benefit of both nurses and patients."
The Labrador visit is part of the NLNU's larger effort to meet with nurses throughout the province. The goal of the meetings is to connect with members and help determine the union's the direction and priorities.
Forward said nurses who work in community health clinics are often the primary caregiver for the community, and provide a range of services from emergency care, health promotion, disease prevention, as well as public health services.
The tour includes visits to Goose Bay, Churchill Falls, Nain, Natuashish, Hopedale, Rigolet, Cartwright, Charlottetown, Port Hope Simpson, Mary's Harbour and Forteau.